The real meaning of Christmas

A Christmas icebreaker, quiz and talk helping young people to look afresh at the Christmas story and reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.

These resources can be used as part of a youth night, youth club or Christmas presentation. They work well with 11-14’s but please adapt according to the knowledge and age of your group.

CALL MY BLUFF

Explain to the group that they have to guess the correct meaning of each word. Only one description is correct. Read out or display the word and then give the three different meanings. Have the group divide into three smaller groups according to which description they believe is correct.

I'm sure you know all the answers! However, just in case, the correct answers are given at the end of the article! If you wish, choose your own words and add your own creative descriptions.

FALCHION

Another name for a ships wheel

A broad curved sword

A blindfold used by falconers on their birds of prey

GAZEBO

A structure built to provide a view

A species of east African antelope

A type of boat used on the great barrier reef in Australia

MARIMBA

An alcoholic Peruvian drink

An African xylophone

A lively Spanish dance

FELUCCA

A loose woollen cloak worn by Arab men

An agricultural tool, like a pickaxe, used in India

A small coastal boat used in the Mediterranean

MANGEL-WURZEL

A large vegetable, like a beetroot, used as cattle food

Another name for a scarecrow

An old type of washing machine

Where would you look to find the correct meaning or description of a word like the ones we have used in the quiz? (Dictionary) A dictionary helps us to discover the true meaning of a word. What about a word like Christmas? The dictionary says 'The annual festival of Christ's birth, celebrated on December 25th' (Oxford Modern English Dictionary). Well, the dictionary definition helps, but it doesn’t give many details or much information.

What would happen if we polled 100 people about how they would describe Christmas? We might get lots of different thoughts - it's a holiday, a time to visit friends, a time to go to church, a time to sing carols, a time to relax and watch TV, a time to eat lots of food and a time to give and receive presents. All those things might be true, but is there more and how much do we really know about the first Christmas?

Introduce the Advent calendar quiz. The quiz is a mixture of questions from the story of the first Christmas and general knowledge (or guesswork!) about the Christmas celebrations around the world.

ADVENT CALENDAR QUIZ

This very day in David’s town your Saviour was born - Christ the Lord! (Good News Bible, TEV)

Write each word of the verse (Luke 2:11) on a card and number the cards 1-13 on the other side. Stick the cards to a board or wall in order (numbered side up so that the words cannot be seen). Divide your group into two teams. Each team then takes turns to choose a number and a corresponding question is given.

If the answer is correct they receive the number of points equivalent to the number of letters in the word i.e. very=4, Saviour=7 (except in the USA where it will= 6!). Incorrect answers are passed to the other team for bonus points. If neither team answers correctly then the next round begins with a team choosing a new number. A further question can be asked when the same number is chosen again.The winning team is the one who collects the most points. An element of skill enters the game if any of the team members guess the sentence and can then select the highest value cards.

Give three other names used to describe Jesus in the story of the first Christmas? Saviour, Messiah, Christ, Emmanuel.

What was the name of the angel who told Mary she was going to have a baby? Gabriel.

'FAT HERMITS CRASH' is an anagram of which Christmas person? Father Christmas.

Where is there a town called Santa Claus. Australia, Austria or America? America.

Congratulate the winning team. Suggest that to find out the facts and the real story behind Christmas, we need to look again at the story in the Bible. Read Luke 2:1-20.

REFLECTION

Close with a short Christmas reflection on the angel’s message to the shepherds (Luke 2:10-11)

'But the angel reassured them. 'Don’t be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!'Luke 2:10,11.

At a time planned by God the greatest event in history has just happened. The Messiah has been born. The Good News about Jesus is that he comes to anyone with a heart humble enough to accept him as king. Who will rule in your life this Christmas?

ANSWERS

FALCHION A broad curved sword. GAZEBO A structure built to provide a view. MARIMBA An African xylophone. FELUCCA A small coastal boat used in the Mediterranean. MANGEL-WURZEL A large vegetable, like a beetroot, used as cattle food.

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Extracts taken from ‘A Really Great Assembly’ by Grahame Knox and Chris Chesterton (Scripture Union 1992) and ‘Christmas Unwrapped’ by Grahame Knox and Caroline Ray (1990)